The opinion of the Legal Service, which reaffirms that the product with the name “halloumi” is the one that meets the requirements of the European regulation, which registered halloumi as a product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), was presented on Wednesday before the Parliamentary Committee. .
The Committee met extraordinarily after the meeting, which will take place at the Presidential Palace under the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, and the Cheesemakers Association.
At today's meeting, which was attended by the Ministers of Agriculture and Trade, as well as representatives of the Cheesemakers, it was stressed that the government will implement the legislation as instructed by the Legal Service, while appealing to the cheesemakers to join the plan, so that to produce PDO halloumi.
Furthermore, assurances were given by the competent Ministry that it is not obligatory for all cheesemakers to produce PDO halloumi, since as the cheesemakers claim there are not enough quantities for its production, but as it was pointed out they will be able to produce another cheese, which resembles halloumi, giving it any other name they want.
In relation to procedural issues, such as the improvement of animal breeding standards, humidity, shape, weight, how the halloumi is folded, as well as the registration of cheesemakers in the relevant process, are issues that will be resolved in the near future in meetings that the President of the Republic will have with all those involved in the production chain of the product.
In his statements after the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis, stated that “as the government fought resolutely and succeeded in securing our national agricultural product halloumi, in the same way and with the same determination, will solve all the problems, so that the production of halloumi as a PDO is on the right track and works, as exactly provided by the relevant regulations “.
He added that “the opinion of the Legal Service was enlightening”, to note that “the President of the Republic in his meeting with the cheesemakers what made clear is that this legislation should be implemented”.
According to the Minister of Agriculture “there are minor changes, which will facilitate producers to proceed with the production of the product, in a more flexible way”, adding that “these changes the Ministry in will send them in the next few days “.
Referring to the extension that the European Commission can give, for the implementation of the provisions of a dossier, Mr. Kadis said that there is a regulation that enables the European Commission to give an extension of up to ten years, for the implementation of the provisions of a dossier.
As stated by the competent Minister, in the case of Cyprus this time expires in 2024, to add that the possibility is being discussed at European level in exceptional cases – and halloumi is a In such a case, the European Commission should be able to extend it further, ie to reach 2029 or 2030.
“This is something that the government is trying to achieve, so that we can give even more room to the producers to adapt to the new data and it is one of the many steps that the government is taking to make the space work better and to make it easier for all producers. involved in the production of halloumi “, he said.
She clarified again that halloumi PDO means specific specifications and these specifications must be observed by all, to note that “if there is a surplus of milk, another cheese can be produced, which everyone can name as they wish”. >
During the meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, examples were given of cheeses, which are similar to halloumi and which have very high prices on the market, while it was stressed that this can be done with cheeses that may to be produced from Cyprus with cow's milk, without violating the legislation.
Mr. Kadis continued that “there is a possibility and solutions as long as there is good will”, adding that “these are the solutions that the President will seek in meetings with all those involved in the production chain of the product ».
The Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Giannakis Gabriel, stressed that the law must be implemented immediately, as well as the opinion of NY, to note that the requirement of Parliament is to intensify controls.
He said that not everyone has to produce PDO halloumi. “Let them call it something else since they can not meet the standards of the PDO. “We will insist on this until we exhaust all the margins,” he said.
“It was said that there are not large quantities, so that only PDO halloumi is produced. It has never been said that Cyprus should produce only PDO halloumi. “There are other types that are similar to halloumi and it is not necessary to produce all the quantities as PDO”, said Mr. Gabriel.
He appealed to the dairies to join the so that they can produce PDO halloumi. He expressed the belief that the economic benefit that the Republic of Cyprus will have will be much more than we expect.
DISY MP, Charalambos Pazaros, said that his party requests the implementation of the opinion of the Legal Service, while he noted that “he considers the issue over”.
According to Mr. Pazaro, “all the questions and opposing views that have been expressed from time to time, have been clarified”.
He welcomed the initiative of the President of the Republic to resolve the whole issue and stated that he expects that all parties involved comply with the content and instructions of the opinion.
“Otherwise,” he said, “the long-running struggle for the protection of halloumi as a national product will become meaningless and of no benefit.”
DIKO MP, Christos Orfanidis, said that the government must immediately implement what is called and the Legal Service has given an opinion, adding that “the way the government handles the halloumi in the end we will lose the halloumi and we will sell white noro, not white halloumi “.
” For years the competent Ministries of Agriculture and Trade have been assuring the Committee on Agriculture that efforts are being made and the legislation will be implemented. Now, with all its attitude and behavior, our government is raising reasonable concerns. We should all be worried because as far as halloumi is concerned, its future is uncertain “, he said.
DIPA MP, Alekos Tryfonidis, stated that” it is clear to the Cypriot people that after the implementation of the legislation, no other product can be released than the halloumi PDO “, to note that” everything else that will be released will have a different name and content “.
He called on the Commission for the Protection of Competition” if it wants to play its role towards the Cypriot society and the citizens, then the controls must be carried out quickly and the fines must be introduced, so that the scandal to the detriment of the citizens is not perpetuated “./p>
Source: KYPE
